Augmented reality in ultrasonic inspection

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for improved visualization of non-destructive testing (NDT) measurements are provided. A probe can be employed to acquire NDT measurements of a target. Images of the target can also be captured during testing. The captured images can be analyzed to identify selected objects therein (e.g., the target, the probe, etc.) Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) including the NDT measurements can be further generated for viewing in combination with the target. In one aspect, the GUI can be viewed as a hologram within a display of an augmented reality device when viewing the target. In another aspect, the GUI can be projected upon the target. The GUI can be configured to overlay the NDT measurements at the location where the NDT measurements are acquired. This display of the NDT measurements can help an inspector more easily relate the NDT measurements to the target and improve reporting of the NDT measurements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/168,983, filed on Mar. 31, 2021 and entitled“Augmented Reality In Ultrasonic Inspection,” the entirety of which isincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

In some instances, non-destructive testing (NDT) is a class ofanalytical techniques that can be used to inspect characteristics of atarget object, without causing damage. As an example, NDT can beemployed to identify the presence of defects within the target objectand quantify characteristics of such defects, such as location, size,orientation, etc. NDT is commonly used in industries that employstructures that are not easily removed from their surroundings (e.g.,pipes or welds) or where failures can be catastrophic, such asaerospace, railroad, power generation, oil and gas transport orrefining, amongst others.

Ultrasonic testing is one type of NDT. Ultrasound is acoustic (sound)energy in the form of waves that have an intensity (strength) whichvaries in time at a frequency above the human hearing range. Inultrasonic testing, one or more ultrasonic signals can be generated anddirected towards a target. As the ultrasonic signals penetrate thetarget, they can reflect from features such as outer surfaces andinterior defects (e.g., cracks, porosity, etc.) The reflected ultrasonicsignals can be detected and analyzed to acquire ultrasonic measurementssuch as acoustic strength as a function of time. From the ultrasonicmeasurements, features of the target, such as defects and geometriccharacteristics, can be identified and characterized.

SUMMARY

Under some circumstances, NDT can be performed manually by an inspectorusing a portable NDT device. The portable NDT device can include a probein communication with a controller. During testing, the inspector caninspect selected locations of the target object by holding the probe inat least one hand adjacent to the selected location. The controller candrive the probe to generate signals incident at the selected location ofthe target object. The probe can further detect return signals thatreflect from the target and provide the return signals to thecontroller. The controller can further analyze the return signals toyield NDT measurements and further display the NDT measurements.Typically, the controller is also held by the inspector to view the NDTmeasurements.

Portable NDT devices can be problematic, however. Notably, to view testresults in real time while conducting an inspection, an inspector can berequired to hold both the probe and controller concurrently. Lacking afree hand can expose the inspector to safety risks in some testingsites, such as sites where the inspector accesses the target object byrope.

Reporting quality is a further problem generally encountered with NDT.NDT measurements are traditionally recorded on paper or computer.However, the signals generated and detected by NDT probes are notvisible to the eye. As a result, when reporting NDT measurements, errorscan be made when correlating the NDT measurements to the actual partbeing inspected.

Training is an additional problem generally encountered with NDT. Asnoted above, the signals generated and detected by NDT probes are notvisible to the eye. As a result, it can be difficult to explain how thesignals travel through the target object or how to relate displayed NDTmeasurements to the actual part being inspected.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improvedsystems and methods for visualizing NDT measurements. As discussed indetail below, images of a target can be captured during NDT testing. Thecaptured images can be analyzed to identify selected objects therein(e.g., the target, the probe, etc.) Graphical user interfaces (GUIs)including the NDT measurements can be further generated for viewing incombination with the target. In one aspect, the GUI can be viewed as ahologram within a display of an augmented reality device when viewingthe target. In another aspect, the GUI can be projected upon the target.

In one example, the NDT measurements can be overlaid at the locationwhere the NDT measurements are acquired. Beneficially this display ofthe NDT measurements allows an inspector/trainee to more easily relatethe NDT measurements to the target. In another example, the NDTmeasurements can be displayed in the same field of view as the target(e.g., within a separate window adjacent to the target). Beneficially,displaying the GUI in such fashion allows the inspector to view thetesting environment, including the target and probe, concurrently withthe NDT measurements, eliminating the need to carry the controller toview the NDT measurements.

In an embodiment, a non-destructive testing NDT system is provided andcan include a portable non-destructive testing (NDT) probe and acontroller. The NDT probe can be configured to generate incident signalsdirected to a target and to detect return signals resulting frominteraction of the incident signals with the target. The controller caninclude one or more processors in communication with the NDT probe. Thecontroller can be configured to receive the detected return signals fromthe NDT probe. The controller can also be configured to determine atleast one NDT measurement from the detected return signals. Thecontroller can also be configured to receive, from a wearable augmentedreality device, a plurality of digital images of a field of view (FOV)including at least one of the target and the NDT probe captured by theaugmented reality device. The controller can additionally be configuredto identify the location of at least one of the target and the NDT probewithin the FOV based upon one or more of the plurality of digitalimages. The controller can further be configured to generate a graphicaluser interface (GUI). The GUI can be configured for viewing as ahologram within a display of the augmented reality device and it caninclude a representation of the at least one NDT measurement that ispositioned at a predetermined location with respect to the location ofat least one of the target and the NDT probe. The controller can also beconfigured to output the generated GUI to the augmented reality device.

In another embodiment, the NDT probe is an ultrasonic probe or an eddycurrent probe.

In another embodiment, the controller can be configured to identify thelocation of at least one of the target and the NDT probe using a trainedmachine vision model.

In another embodiment, the controller can be configured to identify thelocation of at least one of the target and the NDT probe by receivingthe location of the target and/or the NDT probe from the augmentedreality device.

In another embodiment, the predetermined location can be a location onthe target at which the at least one NDT measurement is detected.

In another embodiment, the predetermined location of the at least oneNDT measurement can be distanced from the target.

In another embodiment, the controller can be further configured tocontrol at least one of operating parameters of the NDT probe anddisplay parameters of the at least one NDT measurement. The GUI canfurther include a virtual control panel having at least one userinterface object operative to control a selected one of the operatingparameters and the display parameters in response to selection.

In another embodiment, the NDT system can include the augmented realitydevice.

In an embodiment, a method of non-destructive testing is provided. Themethod can include detecting, by a portable non-destructive testing(NDT) probe, return signals resulting from interaction of incidentsignals generated by the probe and directed to a target. The method canfurther include receiving, one or more processors of a controller incommunication with the NDT probe, the detected return signals from theNDT probe. The method can additionally include determining, by the oneor more processors, at least one NDT measurement from the detectedreturn signals. The method can also include receiving, by the one ormore processors from a wearable augmented reality device, a plurality ofdigital images of a field of view (FOV) including the NDT probe and thetarget captured by the augmented reality device. The method can furtherinclude identifying, by the one or more processors, the location of atleast one of the target and the NDT probe within the FOV based upon oneor more of the plurality of digital images. The method can additionallyinclude generating, by the one or more processors, a graphical userinterface (GUI). The GUI can be configured for viewing as a hologramwithin a display of the augmented reality device. The GUI can include arepresentation of the at least one NDT measurement that is positioned ata predetermined location with respect to at least one of the target andthe NDT probe. The method can also include outputting the generated GUIto the augmented reality device.

In another embodiment, the NDT probe can be an ultrasonic probe or aneddy current probe.

In another embodiment, the method can further include identifying thelocation of at least one of the target and the NDT probe using a trainedmachine vision model.

In another embodiment, the method can further include identifying thelocation of at least one of the target and the NDT probe by receivingthe location of the target of the NDT probe and/or the target from theaugmented reality device.

In another embodiment, the predetermined location can be a location onthe target at which the at least one NDT measurement is detected.

In another embodiment, the predetermined location of the at least oneNDT measurement can be distanced from the target.

In another embodiment, the controller can be further configured tocontrol at least one of operating parameters of the NDT probe anddisplay parameters of the at least one NDT measurement. The GUI canfurther include a virtual control panel including at least one userinterface object operative to control a respective one of the operatingparameters and display parameters in response to selection.

In an embodiment, a non-destructive testing NDT system is provided andcan include a non-destructive testing (NDT) probe, a computing device,and an encoder. The NDT probe can be configured to generate incidentsignals directed to a target and to detect return signals resulting frominteraction of the incident signals with the target. The computingdevice can include one or more processors in communication with the NDTprobe. The encoder can be in communication with the computing device andit can be configured to output one or more encoder signals includingdata representing a position of the target with respect to the NDTprobe. The computing device can be further configured to receive thedetected return signals from the NDT probe. The computing device canalso be configured to determine an NDT measurement from the detectedreturn signals. The computing device can additionally be configured toreceive a plurality of digital images of a field of view (FOV) thatincludes the NDT probe and the target captured by a camera. Thecomputing device can also be configured to receive the encoder signalsfrom the encoder. The computing device can be further configured toidentify the location of the target and the NDT probe within the FOVbased upon one or more of the plurality of digital images. The computingdevice can also be configured to determine the position on the targetcorresponding to the NDT measurement based upon the encoder signals. Thecomputing device can additionally be configured to generate a graphicaluser interface (GUI) including a representation of the NDT measurementconfigured to overly the determined corresponding position of thetarget. The computing device can also be configured to output thegenerated GUI for display.

In another embodiment, the GUI can be configured for viewing as ahologram within a display of an augmented reality device including thecamera. The system can further include the augmented reality device.

In another embodiment, the GUI is configured for display within aprojection upon the target by a projector. The system can furtherinclude the projector.

In another embodiment, the NDT probe can be an ultrasonic probe or aneddy current probe.

In another embodiment, the computing device can be further configured toidentify the location of at least one of the target and the NDT probeusing a trained machine vision model.

In another embodiment, the predetermined location of the at least oneNDT measurement can be distanced from the target.

In another embodiment, the computing device can be further configured tocontrol at least one of operating parameters of the NDT probe anddisplay parameters for the at least one NDT measurement. The GUI canfurther include a virtual control panel having at least one userinterface object operative to control a respective one of the operatingparameters and display parameters in response to selection.

In an embodiment, a method of non-destructive testing is provided. Themethod can include detecting, by a non-destructive testing (NDT) probe,return signals resulting from interaction of incident signals generatedby the probe and directed to a target. The method can also includereceiving, by a computing device including one or more processors incommunication with the NDT probe, the detected return signals from theNDT probe. The method can further include determining, by the one ormore processors, at least one NDT measurement from the detected returnsignals. The method can additionally include receiving, by the one ormore processors, a plurality of digital images of a field of view (FOV)that includes the NDT probe and the target captured by a camera. Themethod can also include receiving, by the one or more processors, one ormore encoder signals output by an encoder in communication with thecomputing device. The encoder signals can include data representing aposition of the target with respect to the NDT probe. The method canfurther include identifying, by the one or more processors, the locationof the target and the NDT probe within the FOV based upon one or more ofthe plurality of digital images. The method can additionally includedetermining, by the one or more processors, the position on the targetcorresponding to the NDT measurement based upon the encoder signals. Themethod can also include generating a graphical user interface (GUI)including a representation of the NDT measurement configured to overlythe determined corresponding position of the target. The method canfurther include outputting the generated GUI for display.

In another embodiment, the GUI can be configured for viewing as ahologram within a display of an augmented reality device including thecamera. computing device

In another embodiment, the GUI is configured for display within aprojection upon the target by a projector.

In another embodiment, the NDT probe can be an ultrasonic probe or aneddy current probe.

In another embodiment, the method can further include identifying thelocation of at least one of the target and the NDT probe using a trainedmachine vision model.

In another embodiment, the predetermined location of the at least oneNDT measurement can be distanced from the target.

In another embodiment, the computing device can be further configured tocontrol at least one of operating parameters of the NDT probe anddisplay parameters for the at least one NDT measurement. The GUI canfurther include a virtual control panel having at least one userinterface object operative to control a respective one of the operatingparameters and display parameters in response to selection.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other features will be more readily understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a first exemplary embodiment ofan operating environment including a non-destructive testing (NDT)system configured to generate graphical user interfaces (GUI) includingNDT measurements for viewing as a hologram within a display of anaugmented reality device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of anaugmented reality scene including a GUI generated by the system of FIG.1 and an inspection target;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating one exemplary embodiment of amethod for generating the GUI of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating a second exemplary embodiment ofan operating environment including another non-destructive testing (NDT)system configured to generate graphical user interfaces (GUI) includingNDT measurements for viewing as a hologram within a display of anaugmented reality device;

FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating an NDT probe configured forinspection of train wheels;

FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram illustrating an augmented reality sceneincluding an exemplary embodiment of a GUI generated by the system ofFIGS. 4A-4B including the target;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a GUIgenerated the system of FIG. 1 in the context of ultrasonic testing ofrailway rails using a rail-mounted NDT probe;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a third exemplary embodiment ofan operating environment including another non-destructive testing (NDT)system configured to generate graphical user interfaces (GUI) includingNDT measurements for projection by a projector; and

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating one exemplary embodiment of amethod for generating the GUIs employing the NDT systems of FIGS. 4A-4B,5, and 6.

It is noted that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The drawingsare intended to depict only typical aspects of the subject matterdisclosed herein, and therefore should not be considered as limiting thescope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Non-destructive testing (NDT) systems, such as ultrasonic and eddycurrent testing systems, are commonly used for inspection of targetobjects such as machine components to identify and measure defects. SomeNDT systems can display the test results to an inspector in real time ona display such as a computer monitor or tablet computing device.However, it can be difficult for an inspector to relate the test resultsto the geometry of the target object being inspected, reducing thequality of reported test results. Furthermore, some portable testingsystems can require an inspector to carry the NDT system (e.g., probeand display), which can occupy both hands of the inspector. This canraise the risk of inspector injury in environments where the inspectormay need to use their hands for stabilization (e.g., testing atlocations accessed by an inspector using support ropes).

Accordingly, systems and methods for non-destructive testing areprovided that improve visualization of NDT measurements. Graphical userinterfaces can be generated that include NDT measurements. The GUIs canbe viewed as holograms within a display of an augmented reality device,such as a headset or projected onto a target. The GUI can place the NDTmeasurements at desired location with respect to the target. In oneexample, the NDT measurements can be displayed within a window distancedfrom the target. In another example, the NDT measurements can bedisplayed as an overlay upon the target at the location where NDTmeasurements are acquired. In this manner, an inspector can view NDTmeasurements that are accurately correlated with the location on thetarget at which the NDT measurements were made, providing easierinterpretation of NDT measurements and attendant reporting. Display ofNDT measurements in combination with the target can further free thehands of the inspector, improving safety.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure discuss non-destructivetesting devices with specific reference to ultrasonic or and eddycurrent testing devices. However, embodiments of the disclosure can beemployed with other non-destructive testing devices, without limit.

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of an operating environment100 containing a non-destructive testing (NDT) system 102 and a target104. As shown, the NDT system 102 includes a NDT probe 106 and acontroller 110. The NDT probe 106 includes a housing 108 containing oneor more sensing elements 112. The controller 110 is in signalcommunication with the NDT probe 106.

In certain embodiments, the NDT system 102 can be a portable system. Asan example, the NDT probe and the controller 110 can be configured to beheld by an inspector. For instance, the controller 110 can be a portablecomputing device including one or more processors and a display, such asa laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, etc. However, the NDT system can beprovided in other form factors, as necessary.

Examples of the target can include, but are not limited to, vehiclecomponents (e.g., components of aircraft, trains, etc.), components ofindustrial equipment such as that employed in oil and gas industries(e.g., pumps, compressors, turbines, pipes, etc.) and the like. Specificexamples of the target can include train wheels, rails, and shafts. Itcan be appreciated, however, that reference to specific targets hereinis for example only and the disclosed embodiments can be employed withany target without limit.

In an embodiment, the NDT system 102 can be an ultrasonic testingsystem, where the NDT probe 106 is an ultrasonic probe and the one ormore sensing elements 112 are ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasonictransducers can be configured to generate respective ultrasonic waves,referred to herein as an incident ultrasonic signals 112 s or incidentsignals 112 s, having predetermined characteristics in response todriving signals 110 s received from the controller 110. The ultrasonictransducers can also be configured to detect ultrasonic waves reflectedback to the NDT probe 106 from the target 104, referred to herein asreturn ultrasonic signals 114 s or return signals 114 s.

In an alternative embodiment, the NDT system 102 can be an eddy currenttesting system where the NDT probe 106 is an eddy current probe and theone or more sensing elements 112 are coils of conductive wire. The coilscan be configured to generate an alternating magnetic field in responseto driving signals 110 s (e.g., alternating electrical current) receivedfrom the controller 110. The generated magnetic field can induce an eddycurrent within electrically conductive targets 104. The eddy currentprobe can be moved with respect to the target during testing. If eddycurrent circulation is disturbed by a flaw, magnetic coupling with theeddy current probe is changed and return signal 114 s in the form ofdefect signals can be read by measuring variation in the coil impedance.

In either case, the NDT probe 106 can be positioned proximate to thetarget 104 (e.g., in contact with or near the target 104) for detectingthe return signals 114 s. The detected return signals 114 s aresubsequently transmitted to the controller 110. In one example, the NDTmeasurements can be the detected return signals 114 s without furtherprocessing. In another example, the controller 110 can process thedetected return signals 114 s to determine the NDT measurements.Processing can include, but is not limited to, signal processing of thereturn signals 114 s, analysis of the return signals 114 s according toone or more models, and the like. As an example, ultrasonic NDTmeasurements can include one or more of ultrasonic amplitude as afunction of time (A-scans), and ultrasonic amplitude as a function ofposition (C-scan), time-displacement scans (TD scans). Eddy current NDTmeasurements can include defect signal amplitude (e.g., voltage) as afunction of position and inductive reactance as a function of coilresistance.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the controller 110 is in communication withan augmented reality (AR) device 120. In an embodiment, the AR device120 is a wearable device, such as a headset (e.g., Microsoft HoloLens®),and includes a camera 122 and a display 124. The camera 122 can beconfigured to capture a plurality of digital images (e.g., video and/ora plurality of still frames) of the target 104 within a field of view(FOV) 126. In certain embodiments, the FOV 126 can include at least aportion of the target 104. In further embodiments, the FOV 126 caninclude at least a portion of the target 104 and at least a portion ofthe NDT probe 106. The captured digital images can be transmitted to thecontroller 110 via image signals 130 s.

The controller 110 can be further configured to generate and transmitgraphical user interfaces GUIs to the AR device 120 (e.g., via GUIsignals 132 s) for viewing as a hologram within the display 124. Asdiscussed in greater detail below, the GUIs can include a representationof the NDT measurements. The captured digital images can be analyzed bythe controller 110 to identify selected objects within the digitalimages (e.g., the target 104, the NDT probe 106) and generate GUIs thatplace the NDT measurements within the FOV 126 at a predeterminedlocation with respect to the target 104.

Providing GUIs that allow for viewing of the NDT measurements within theFOV 126 of the AR device 120 can provide a variety of benefits. In oneaspect, the need to view the NDT measurements displayed by thecontroller 110 can be reduced or entirely eliminated, extending batterylife. In another aspect, under circumstances where the NDT probe 106 andthe controller 110 are handheld devices, display of the NDT measurementswithin the FOV 126 of the AR device 120 can further free the hands ofthe inspector and reduce risk of injury. In a further aspect, using theAR device 120 to display the NDT measurements as an overlay upon thetarget 104 at the location at where the NDT measurements are acquiredcan facilitate training, as it can be difficult to explain howultrasonic or magnetic signals travel within the target 104 or how torelate NDT measurements with the target 104 under inspection.

In an additional aspect, using the AR device to display the NDTmeasurements as an overlay upon the target 104 at the location at wherethe NDT measurements are acquired can facilitate improved reporting.Traditional inspection approaches can require inspectors to report NDTmeasurements by paper or computer entry, which can be difficult torelate to the target 104. By visually recording the act of inspectionand mapping the NDT measurements to the corresponding location of thetarget 104, errors in reporting the location of the target 104 at whichNDT measurements are made can be reduced.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an AR scene 200 including thetarget 104 and the NDT probe 106 and one exemplary embodiment of a GUIgenerated by the controller 110. The target 104 and NDT probe 106 can bein the background of the FOV 126 of the AR device 120 while the GUI canbe a hologram displayed in the foreground by the display 124 of the ARdevice 120. A method 300 employing the NDT system 102 for generation ofthe GUI is illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown, the method 300 includesoperations 302-316. However, it can be understood that embodiments ofthe method 300 can include greater or fewer operations than illustratedin FIG. 3 and the operations can be performed in a different order thanillustrated in FIG. 3.

In operation 302, return signals resulting from interaction of theincident signals 112 s with the target 104 can be detected by the NDTprobe 106. The NDT probe 106 can be a portable NDT probe dimensioned tobe held by the inspector and moved by hand. Examples of the NDT probe106 can include, but are not limited to, ultrasonic probes and eddycurrent probes.

In operation 304, one or more processors of the controller 110 canreceive the detected return signals 114 s from the NDT probe 106. Incertain embodiments, the controller 110 can be a portable computingdevice. The controller 110 can communicate with the NDT probe 106 viawires or wirelessly (e.g., Bluetooth® or other wireless communicationprotocols) to receive the return signals 114 s acquired by the NDT probe106.

In operation 306, one or more processors of the controller 110 candetermine one or more NDT measurements from the received return signals114 s. In the context of ultrasonic probes, the NDT measurements can beultrasonic scans (e.g., A-scans, C-scans). In the context of eddycurrent probes, the NDT measurements can be defect signal amplitude(e.g., voltage) as a function of position and inductive reactance as afunction of coil resistance.

In operation 310, one or more processors of the controller 110 canreceive a plurality of digital images from the AR device 120. Thedigital images can be the FOV 126 captured by the camera 122 of the ARdevice 120 and can include at least the target 104. In furtherembodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of digital images caninclude the target 104 and the NDT probe 106. As discussed above, theNDT probe 106 can be a hand-held probe that is moved by the inspector.However, for clarity, the inspector's hand is omitted from FIG. 2.

In operation 312, the one or more processors of the controller 110 canbe configured to identify the location of at least one of the target 104and the NDT probe 106 within the FOV 126 based upon one or more of thereceived digital images. It can be appreciated that this identificationis necessary to generate GUIs that place the NDT measurements within theFOV 126 at a predetermined location with respect to at least one of thetarget 104 and the NDT probe 106. In further embodiments, discussedbelow, the one or more processors can correlate the NDT measurementswith the physical location on the target 104 at which the correspondingreturn signals 114 s are detected.

The location of the target 104 within the FOV 126, alone or incombination with the location of the NDT probe 106, can be determined ina variety of ways. In one embodiment, the location of the target 104and/or the NDT probe 106 can be determined by the controller 110. As anexample, the controller 110 can receive CAD data representing the shapeof target 104 and/or the NDT probe 106. The CAD data and one or more ofthe captured images can be input to a trained machine vision modelexecuted by the controller 110. The machine vision model can bepreviously trained using a training data set of inspection targets andNDT probes expected to be employed for non-destructive testing. Thus,execution of the trained machine vision model can identify the locationof the target 104 and/or the NDT probe 106 based upon one or more of thereceived images.

In alternative embodiments, the target 104 and the NDT probe 106 caninclude respective reference markers 212 a, 212 b for identification. Asan example each of the reference markers 212 a, 212 b can include atleast one unique feature (e.g., size, shape, color, pattern, barcode,etc.) A machine vision model can be trained using a training data setincluding different reference markers 212 a, 212 b. Respective referencemarkers 212 a, 212 b can be correlated to targets 104 and/or NDT probes106 (e.g., using a lookup table). Thus, execution of this trainedmachine vision model can identify the target 104 and/or NDT probe 106based upon one or more of the received plurality of received images.

In a further embodiment, the inspector can use the AR device 120 toidentify the shape of the target 104 and the NDT probe 106 within one ormore of the plurality of images. This identification can be provided tothe controller 110. As successive images are subsequently received bythe controller 110, the target 104 and/or NDT probe 106 can be trackedby the controller 110 based upon the identified shape.

It can be understood that, in additional embodiments, any of theabove-discussed techniques for determination of the location of the NDTprobe and the target within the FOV can be performed by the AR device,alone or in combination with the controller.

In operation 314, the one or more processors can generate the GUI forviewing as a hologram within the display 124 of the AR device 120. TheGUI can include a representation of the at least one NDT measurementpositioned at a predetermined location with respect to the target 104.In one embodiment, the NDT measurements can be displayed within an NDTmeasurement window 206 distanced from the target 104.

The controller 110 can be configured to control operating parameters ofthe NDT probe 106 and/or display of NDT measurements using physical andvirtual keys. Examples of operating parameters can include, but are notlimited to, power, NDT test start/stop, and parameters of the incidentsignals 112 s (e.g., amplitude, frequency, timing, etc.). NDT displayoptions can include, but are not limited to, NDT measurement selectionby axis, axis units, axis scales (magnitude,linear/logarithmic/exponential), and the like.

To avoid the need for the inspector to hold and/or view the controller100 for selection of operational and/or display parameters duringinspection, embodiments of the GUI can include a virtual control panel204. The virtual control panel 204 can be configured to duplicate theappearance and/or functionality of a control panel provided by thecontroller 110. As an example, the virtual control panel 204 include oneor more user interface objects 210. configured to replicate thefunctionality of respective physical and virtual keys of the controller110. Beneficially, using the AR device 120 rather than the controller110 for control of the NDT system 102, the inspector can avoid the needto view the controller 110. The virtual control panel 204 can furtherinclude the NDT measurement window 206.

The virtual control panel 204 can be displayed at a predeterminedlocation with respect to the target 104. In one aspect, thepredetermined location can be a specified distance between one or morereference points or features (e.g., edges, corners, etc.) of the target104 and the virtual control panel 204 (e.g., a minimum distance, anabsolute distance). In another example, the predetermined location canbe within a specified region of the scene 200 (e.g., any portion of thescene 200 that does not overlap the target). Such distances and/orregions can be specified by the inspector via input from the controller110 and/or AR device 120 or by pre-programmed defaults.

In an alternative embodiment, the GUI can represent the NDT measurementswithin the scene 200 as an overlay upon the target 104. That is, thepredetermined location of the NDT measurements with respect to thetarget 104 can correspond to the location of the target 104 at which thereturn signals 114 s corresponding to the NDT measurements are detected.As an example, illustrated in FIG. 2, in the context of an ultrasonictesting system, the NDT measurements can be an ultrasonic C-scan ofamplitude as a function of position. As the NDT probe 106 is moved alongthe surface of the target 104 within the FOV, shown as arrow D, the GUIcan include the NDT measurements projected along the path traveled bythe NDT probe 106.

The location of the target 104 and the NDT probe 106 can be determinedas a function of time using the captured images as discussed above. Thetime at which the return signals 114 s corresponding to the NDTmeasurements are detected can also be recorded by the NDT probe 106.Accordingly, with this information, time can be used to correlate theNDT measurements at respective positions of the NDT probe 106.

It can be appreciated that machine vision can estimate the location ofthe target 104 and/or the NDT probe 106 within the FOV 126 within acertain level of uncertainty. However, if more precise estimates aredesired, other techniques can be employed to determine the location ofthe target 104 and/or the NDT probe 106 within the FOV 126 as a functionof time. As an example, the target 104 and the NDT probe 106 can includerespective sensors S configured to output data from which positionand/or orientation can be determined. Such sensors S can include, butare not limited to accelerometers, gyroscopes, encoders and the like.The output of the sensors S can be transmitted to the controller 110 fordetermination of the location of the target 104 and NDT probe 106 withinthe FOV 126.

This visualization can provide a number of benefits, in addition tothose discussed above. In one aspect, the inspection path traveled bythe NDT probe 106 can be clearly displayed so that portions of a definedregion of the target 104 under inspection are not missed. In anotheraspect, features detected based upon the NDT measurements can also bedisplayed within the GUI. Visualizing potential defects in real time onthe target 104 can help to accurately focus the inspector's attention onthese regions of the target 104.

FIG. 4A is a schematic block diagram of an operating environment 400containing another exemplary embodiment of an NDT system 402 and atarget 404. The NDT system 402 can be similar to the NDT system 102 ofFIG. 1 with the addition of an encoder E in communication with thecontroller 110. As discussed in greater detail below, the encoder E canbe employed to determine the portion of the target 404 corresponding torespective NDT measurements.

In an embodiment discussed below, the NDT system 402 replaces the NDTprobe 106 with an NDT probe assembly 406 including a plurality of NDTprobes 406 a (e.g., ultrasonic probes and eddy current probes, etc.) TheNDT system 402 can be further fixed in place and configured to move thetarget with respect to the NDT system 402 during inspection. As anexample, the target 404 can be in the form of a train wheel 404. It canbe appreciated, however, that alternative embodiments of the NDT systemof FIG. 4A can employ the NDT probe 106 in combination with the encoderE.

The train wheel 404 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 4B. Asshown, the train wheel 404 is connected to an axle 405 and positioned onrails 403. The train wheel 404 includes a wheel disk 404 a, a runningtread 404 b, and a wheel flange 404 c. The wheel disk 404 a can form acenter of the train wheel 404 and the running tread 404 b can form acircumferential outer surface of the train wheel 404. The wheel flange404 c can be formed on one side of the train wheel 404 (e.g., aninterior side) and extend radially outward from the running tread 404 b.A primary hole 407 a can be positioned at about a center of the wheeldisk 404 a and be configured for receipt of the axle 405 therethrough.One or more secondary holes 407 b can be formed within the wheel disk404 a, positioned radially outward from the primary hole 407 a. Thesecondary holes 407 b can be configured for coupling other components tothe train wheel 404, such as brake disks (not shown).

The NDT probe assembly 406 is also illustrated in detail in FIG. 4B. TheNDT probe assembly 406 includes the plurality of NDT probes 406 a (e.g.,arranged in an array), and a probe positioning assembly 406 b. The probepositioning assembly 406 b can include a probe holder 410, a probeholder mount 412, and a lift and rotation unit 414. A predeterminednumber of the NDT probes 406 a can be mechanically coupled to the probeholder 410 and oriented with respect to one another by the probe holder410 (e.g., in an arcuate configuration mimicking a curvature of therunning tread 404 b). Each probe holder 410 in turn can be coupled tothe probe holder mount 412.

When using the NDT system 402 for inspection of the train wheel 404, thelift and rotation unit 414 can lift the train wheel 404 above theunderlying rail 403 and rotate the train wheel 404 about an axisextending through the primary hole 407 a (e.g., via one or more rotationwheels 416). The probe holder mount 412 can be coupled to the probeholder 410 and it can be configured to position the plurality of NDTprobes 406 a adjacent to, or in contact with, the running tread 404 b todirect incident signals 112 s to train wheel 404 and receive returnsignals 114 s while lifted.

Similar to the NDT system 102, the return signals 114 s can be receivedby the controller 110 for preparation of NDT measurements. The NDTmeasurements can be in the form of as-detected return 114 s or detectedreturn signals 114 s after processing (e.g., signal processing and/orfurther analysis), as discussed above.

As further discussed above with respect to FIG. 1, the controller 110 isin communication with the augmented reality (AR) device 120 and isconfigured to generate GUIs for viewing the NDT measurements at apredetermined location within the display 124 of the NDT device 102.FIG. 4C is a side view of an AR scene 450 including the train wheel 404and NDT probe assembly 406 and one exemplary embodiment of a GUIgenerated by the controller 110. The train wheel 404 and NDT probeassembly 406 can be in the background of the FOV 126 of the AR device120 while the GUI can be a hologram displayed by the display 124 of theAR device 120.

The controller 110 can employ object identification techniques, asdiscussed above, to identify the location of the train wheel 404 the NDTprobe assembly 406 within the FOV 126 based upon one or more of thecaptured digital images. The controller 110 can be further configured toposition the NDT measurements at a predetermined location within the FOV126. As shown in FIG. 4C, in one embodiment, the GUI can represent theNDT measurements as one or more data plots 452 within the AR scene 450.The data plots 452 can be distanced from the train wheel 404 by apredetermined distance. The GUI can further include user interfaceobjects 210 configured to replicate the functionality of respectivephysical and virtual keys of the controller 110

In another embodiment, the GUI can represent the NDT measurements in anoverlay 454 upon the train wheel 404. The overlay 454 can be configuredto position the NDT measurements at the location(s) on the train wheel404 at which the return signals 114 s corresponding to the NDTmeasurements are detected.

The controller 110 can employ object identification techniques, asdiscussed above, to identify the location of the train wheel 404 and theNDT probe assembly 406 within the FOV 126 based upon one or more of theplurality of received images. Once the location of the train wheel 404and the NDT probe assembly 406 are identified, by the controller 110,the location(s) of the train wheel 404 corresponding to the NDTmeasurements can be determined by the controller 110 with respect to theusing an encoder E (e.g., a rotary encoder).

The encoder can include the encoder E (e.g., a sensor) mounted to theNDT probe assembly 406 and an encoding (not shown) mounted to the trainwheel 404 that is detectable by the encoder E. As the train wheel 404 isrotated, the encoder E detects respective encodings. Upon detection ofan encoding, the encoder E can output a corresponding encoder signal 406s including data representing the detected encoding.

Locations on the train wheel 404 can be defined by an angle and distancefrom a reference point. As an example, the reference point can be apoint on the plurality of NDT probes 406 a adjacent to the encoder E.

The angle can be determined using the encoder E. As an example, the timeat which each encoder signal 406 s is detected can be recorded,identifying the time at which a portion P of the train wheel 404including the encoding corresponding to the encoder signal 406 s isadjacent to the encoder E (e.g., angle α with respect to a referenceangle α_(o)). Rotational speed of the train wheel 404 can be determinedby the controller 110 based upon the time interval between detection ofa given encoder signal 406 s and/or by knowledge of the rotational speedof the rotation wheels 416. An angular offset (Δα) between respectiveNDT probes 406 a from the reference point (e.g., a point on a selectedNDT probe of the plurality of NDT probes 406 a) can be known by thecontroller 110 (e.g., via inspector input). Using the rotational speedof the train wheel 404 and the angular offset Δα, the time at which arespective portion of the train wheel 404 is adjacent respective ones ofthe plurality of NDT probes 406 a can be determined.

The distance can be determined from the NDT measurements. Specifically,the distance between a respective NDT probe 406 a of the NDT probeassembly 406 and a feature captured in the NDT measurements is given bythe time of flight for the feature and the speed of sound within thetrain wheel 404.

Once the controller 110 has determined the angle and distance of the NDTmeasurement from the reference point, the controller 110 can furthergenerate and transmit the GUI to the AR device 120 for viewing as ahologram within the display 124 of the AR device.

While the discussion above refers to inspection of train wheels 404, thedisclosed embodiments can be used for inspection of other targetswithout limit. As an example, FIG. 5 illustrates an AR scene 500illustrating an embodiment of the NDT system 402 configured to performNDT inspection of a rail 502 including an NDT probe assembly 506including one or more NDT probes and encoder E (the controller isomitted for clarity). As shown, the encoder E is mounted to the NDTprobe 506. During inspection, the NDT system 402 can be moved along thelength of the rail 502. The rail can include encodings such that theencoder signals output by the encoder E and received by the controllercan be used to determine the location on the rail 502 corresponding torespective NDT measurements.

In further embodiments, the NDT system 402 discussed above can beadapted for use with a projector configured to project the GUI on thetarget in lieu of the AR device 120 displaying the GUI as a hologramwithin a display. FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an operatingenvironment 600 containing one exemplary embodiment of the NDT system402 and the target 404 (e.g., train wheel 404). The operatingenvironment 600 can be similar to the NDT system 102 of FIG. 1 but theAR device 120 is replaced with a camera 602 and a projector 604. Thefield of view 626 of the camera 602 can be substantially the same as theprojection of the GUI generated by the projector 604. Thus, thecontroller 110 can generate the GUI in a manner similar to thatdiscussed above in the context of FIGS. 4A-4C, except that the GUI isnow configured to position the NDT measurements at a predeterminedlocation with respect to the train wheel 404 and/or the plurality of NDTprobes 406 a within the projection.

An embodiment of a method 700 for generation of the GUI by the NDTsystem 402 is illustrated in FIG. 7. The method 700 can be employed forgeneration of GUIs by embodiments of the NDT testing system 400 or NDTtesting system 600. As shown, the method 700 includes operations702-722. However, it can be understood that embodiments of the method700 can include greater or fewer operations than illustrated in FIG. 7and the operations can be performed in a different order thanillustrated in FIG. 7.

In operation 702, return signals 114 s resulting from interaction of theincident signals 112 s with the target can be detected by the NDT probeassembly 406. Examples of the target 402 can include train wheel 404,rail 502, and the like. Examples of NDT probes employed by the NDT probeassembly 406 can include, but are not limited to, ultrasonic probes andeddy current probes.

In operation 704, one or more processors of the controller 110 canreceive the detected return signals 114 s from the NDT probes of the NDTprobe assembly 406. The controller 110 can communicate with the NDTprobe 106 via wires or wirelessly (e.g., Bluetooth® or other wirelesscommunication protocols) to receive the return signals 114 s acquired bythe NDT probe assembly 406.

In operation 706, one or more processors of the controller 110 candetermine one or more NDT measurements from the received return signals114 s. In the context of ultrasonic probes, the NDT measurements can beultrasonic scans (e.g., A-scans, C-scans, TD-scans), while in thecontext of eddy current probes, the NDT measurements can include defectsignal amplitude (e.g., voltage) as a function of position and inductivereactance as a function of coil resistance.

In operation 710, the one or more processors of the controller 110 canreceive a plurality of digital images including at least one of the NDTprobe assembly 406 and the target 404 (e.g., train wheel 404). Incertain embodiments, the digital images can be received from the ARdevice 120. In other embodiments, the digital images can be receivedfrom the camera 602.

In operation 712, the one or more processors of the controller 110 canreceive the encoder signals from the encoder E.

In operation 714, the one or more processors of the controller 110 canidentify the location of the train wheel 404 and the NDT probe assembly406 within the FOV (e.g., FOV 126, 626) based upon one or more of theplurality of digital images.

In operation 716, the one or more processors of the controller 110 canbe configured to determine the position on the target 404 (e.g., trainwheel 404) that corresponds to respective NDT measurements based uponthe encoder signals.

In operations 720-722, the one or more processors of the controller 110can be configured to generate and output the GUI. The GUI can include arepresentation of the NDT measurement configured to overly thedetermined corresponding position of the target. The GUI can beconfigured for viewing within a hologram within the display 124 of theAR device 120 or within the projection 626 of projector 604 on thetarget 404 (e.g., train wheel 404).

Exemplary technical effects of the methods, systems, and devicesdescribed herein include, by way of non-limiting example improvedvisualization of NDT measurements. In one aspect, an inspector can viewNDT measurements within a display of an augmented reality device,freeing the inspector's hands and reducing the likelihood of accidents.In another embodiment, the GUI can include a representation of the NDTmeasurements as an overlay upon the location where the NDT measurementswere detected. Such an overlay can help inspectors better relate the NDTmeasurements to the target, improving reporting quality. Such overlayscan further assist with training of inspectors.

Certain exemplary embodiments have been described to provide an overallunderstanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture,and use of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein. One ormore examples of these embodiments have been illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that thesystems, devices, and methods specifically described herein andillustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplaryembodiments and that the scope of the present invention is definedsolely by the claims. The features illustrated or described inconnection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with thefeatures of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations areintended to be included within the scope of the present invention.Further, in the present disclosure, like-named components of theembodiments generally have similar features, and thus within aparticular embodiment each feature of each like-named component is notnecessarily fully elaborated upon.

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in analogelectronic circuitry, digital electronic circuitry, and/or in computersoftware, firmware, or hardware, including the structural meansdisclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof, orin combinations of them. The subject matter described herein can beimplemented as one or more computer program products, such as one ormore computer programs tangibly embodied in an information carrier(e.g., in a machine-readable storage device), or embodied in apropagated signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of,data processing apparatus (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer,or multiple computers). A computer program (also known as a program,software, software application, or code) can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, andit can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or asa module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in acomputing environment. A computer program does not necessarilycorrespond to a file. A program can be stored in a portion of a filethat holds other programs or data, in a single file dedicated to theprogram in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files thatstore one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). Acomputer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or onmultiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification, includingthe method steps of the subject matter described herein, can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions of the subject matter describedherein by operating on input data and generating output. The processesand logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus of the subjectmatter described herein can be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processor of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carrierssuitable for embodying computer program instructions and data includeall forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of examplesemiconductor memory devices, (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memorydevices); magnetic disks, (e.g., internal hard disks or removabledisks); magneto-optical disks; and optical disks (e.g., CD and DVDdisks). The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, the subject matter describedherein can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., aCRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, fordisplaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device,(e.g., a mouse or a trackball), by which the user can provide input tothe computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide forinteraction with a user as well. For example, feedback provided to theuser can be any form of sensory feedback, (e.g., visual feedback,auditory feedback, or tactile feedback), and input from the user can bereceived in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

The techniques described herein can be implemented using one or moremodules. As used herein, the term “module” refers to computing software,firmware, hardware, and/or various combinations thereof. At a minimum,however, modules are not to be interpreted as software that is notimplemented on hardware, firmware, or recorded on a non-transitoryprocessor readable recordable storage medium (i.e., modules are notsoftware per se). Indeed “module” is to be interpreted to always includeat least some physical, non-transitory hardware such as a part of aprocessor or computer. Two different modules can share the same physicalhardware (e.g., two different modules can use the same processor andnetwork interface). The modules described herein can be combined,integrated, separated, and/or duplicated to support variousapplications. Also, a function described herein as being performed at aparticular module can be performed at one or more other modules and/orby one or more other devices instead of or in addition to the functionperformed at the particular module. Further, the modules can beimplemented across multiple devices and/or other components local orremote to one another. Additionally, the modules can be moved from onedevice and added to another device, and/or can be included in bothdevices.

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computingsystem that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), amiddleware component (e.g., an application server), or a front-endcomponent (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface ora web browser through which a user can interact with an implementationof the subject matter described herein), or any combination of suchback-end, middleware, and front-end components. The components of thesystem can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital datacommunication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communicationnetworks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network(“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.

Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification andclaims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation thatcould permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basicfunction to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a termor terms, such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are notto be limited to the precise value specified. In at least someinstances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision ofan instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout thespecification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/orinterchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-rangescontained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise.

One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantagesof the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly,the present application is not to be limited by what has beenparticularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appendedclaims. All publications and references cited herein are expresslyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

1. A non-destructive testing NDT system, comprising: a portablenon-destructive testing (NDT) probe configured to generate incidentsignals directed to a target and to detect return signals resulting frominteraction of the incident signals with the target; and a portablecontroller including one or more processors in communication with theNDT probe and, wherein the controller is configured to: receive thedetected return signals from the NDT probe; determine at least one NDTmeasurement from the detected return signals; receive, from a wearableaugmented reality device, a plurality of digital images of a field ofview (FOV) including at least one of the target and the NDT probecaptured by the augmented reality device; identify the location of atleast one of the target and the NDT probe within the FOV based upon oneor more of the plurality of digital images; generate a graphical userinterface (GUI) configured for viewing as a hologram within a display ofthe augmented reality device, wherein the GUI includes a representationof the at least one NDT measurement that is positioned at apredetermined location with respect to the location of at least one ofthe target and the NDT probe; and output the generated GUI to theaugmented reality device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the NDTprobe is an ultrasonic probe or an eddy current probe.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the locationof at least one of the target and the NDT probe using a trained machinevision model.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller isconfigured to identify the location of at least one of the target andthe NDT probe by receiving the location of the target and/or the NDTprobe from the augmented reality device.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the predetermined location is a location on the target at whichthe at least one NDT measurement is detected.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the predetermined location of the at least one NDT measurementis distanced from the target.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is further configured to control at least one of operatingparameters of the NDT probe and display parameters of the at least oneNDT measurement, and wherein the GUI further comprises a virtual controlpanel comprising at least one user interface object operative to controla respective one of the operating parameters and the display parametersin response to selection.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprisingthe augmented reality device.
 9. A method of non-destructive testing,comprising: detecting, by a portable non-destructive testing (NDT)probe, return signals resulting from interaction of incident signalsgenerated by the probe and directed to a target; receiving, by one ormore processors of a controller in communication with the NDT probe, thedetected return signals from the NDT probe; determining, by the one ormore processors, at least one NDT measurement from the detected returnsignals; receiving, by the one or more processors from a wearableaugmented reality device, a plurality of digital images of a field ofview (FOV) including the NDT probe and the target captured by theaugmented reality device; identifying, by the one or more processors,the location of at least one of the target and the NDT probe within theFOV based upon one or more of the plurality of digital images;generating, by the one or more processors, a graphical user interface(GUI) configured for viewing as a hologram within a display of theaugmented reality device, wherein the GUI includes a representation ofthe at least one NDT measurement that is positioned at a predeterminedlocation with respect to at least one of the target and the NDT probe;and outputting the generated GUI to the augmented reality device. 10.The method of claim 9, wherein the NDT probe is an ultrasonic probe oran eddy current probe.
 11. The method of claim 9, further comprisingidentifying the location of at least one of the target and the NDT probeusing a trained machine vision model.
 12. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising identifying the location of at least one of the target andthe NDT probe by receiving the location of the target of the NDT probeand/or the target from the augmented reality device.
 13. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the predetermined location is a location on the targetat which the at least one NDT measurement is detected.
 14. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the predetermined location of the at least one NDTmeasurement is distanced from the target.
 15. The method of claim 9,wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one ofoperating parameters of the NDT probe and display parameters of the atleast one NDT measurement, and wherein the GUI further comprises avirtual control panel comprising at least one user interface objectoperative to control a respective one of the operating parameters anddisplay parameters in response to selection.
 16. A non-destructivetesting NDT system, comprising: a non-destructive testing (NDT) probeconfigured to generate incident signals directed to a target and todetect return signals resulting from interaction of the incident signalswith the target; a computing device including one or more processors incommunication with the NDT probe; and an encoder in communication withthe computing device and configured to output one or more encodersignals including data representing a position of the target withrespect to the NDT probe; wherein the computing device is configured to:receive the detected return signals from the NDT probe; determine an NDTmeasurement from the detected return signals; receive a plurality ofdigital images of a field of view (FOV) that includes the NDT probe andthe target captured by a camera; receive the encoder signals from theencoder; identify the location of the target and the NDT probe withinthe FOV based upon one or more of the plurality of digital images;determine the position on the target corresponding to the NDTmeasurement based upon the encoder signals; generate a graphical userinterface (GUI) including a representation of the NDT measurementconfigured to overly the determined corresponding position of thetarget; and output the generated GUI for display.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the GUI is configured for viewing as a hologram withina display of an augmented reality device including the camera.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17, further comprising the augmented reality device. 19.The system of claim 16, wherein the GUI is configured for display withina projection upon the target by a projector.
 20. The system of claim 19,further comprising the projector.
 21. The system of claim 16, whereinthe NDT probe is an ultrasonic probe or an eddy current probe.
 22. Thesystem of claim 16, wherein the computing device is further configuredto identify the location of at least one of the target and the NDT probeusing a trained machine vision model.
 23. The system of claim 16,wherein the predetermined location of the at least one NDT measurementis distanced from the target.
 24. The system of claim 16, wherein thecomputing device is further configured to control at least one ofoperating parameters of the NDT probe and display parameters for the atleast one NDT measurement, and wherein the GUI further comprises avirtual control panel comprising at least one user interface objectoperative to control a respective one of the operating parameters anddisplay parameters in response to selection.
 25. A method ofnon-destructive testing, comprising: detecting, by a non-destructivetesting (NDT) probe, return signals resulting from interaction ofincident signals generated by the probe and directed to a target;receiving, by a computing device including one or more processors incommunication with the NDT probe, the detected return signals from theNDT probe; determining, by the one or more processors, at least one NDTmeasurement from the detected return signals; receiving, by the one ormore processors, a plurality of digital images of a field of view (FOV)that includes the NDT probe and the target captured by a camera;receiving, by the one or more processors, one or more encoder signalsoutput by an encoder in communication with the computing device, theencoder signals including data representing a position of the targetwith respect to the NDT probe; identifying, by the one or moreprocessors, the location of the target and the NDT probe within the FOVbased upon one or more of the plurality of digital images; determining,by the one or more processors, the position on the target correspondingto the NDT measurement based upon the encoder signals; generating agraphical user interface (GUI) including a representation of the NDTmeasurement configured to overly the determined corresponding positionof the target; and outputting the generated GUI for display.
 26. Themethod of claim 25, wherein the GUI is configured for viewing as ahologram within a display of an augmented reality device including thecamera.
 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the GUI is configured fordisplay within a projection upon the target by a projector.
 28. Themethod of claim 25, wherein the NDT probe is an ultrasonic probe or aneddy current probe.
 29. The method of claim 25, further comprisingidentifying the location of at least one of the target and the NDT probeusing a trained machine vision model.
 30. The method of claim 25,wherein the predetermined location of the at least one NDT measurementis distanced from the target.
 31. The method of claim 25, wherein thecomputing device is further configured to control at least one ofoperating parameters of the NDT probe and display parameters for the atleast one NDT measurement, and wherein the GUI further comprises avirtual control panel comprising at least one user interface objectoperative to control a respective one of the operating parameters anddisplay parameters in response to selection.